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Judge Agrees With Decision To Sell Philadelphia Widow's Home Over $6.30 In Unpaid Tax Interest

A Pennsylvania judge has ruled against a widow whose home was sold at a tax auction in 2011 after she failed to pay $6.30 in unpaid interest.

Eileen Battisti’s home was sold in September 2011 over the unpaid interest, despite Battisti’s claims that she paid everything that she thought she had to pay.

"I paid everything, and didn't know about the $6.30," said Battisti. "For the house to be sold just because of $6.30 is crazy."

Beaver County Judge Gus Kwidis handed down his ruling last week, maintaining his belief that Battisti had been given ample notice to pay the money, which in full was $235 including other fees and accrued interest.

"There is no doubt that [she] had actual receipt of the notification of the tax upset sale on July 7, 2011, and Aug. 16, 2011," wrote Judge Kwidis in his ruling, according to the AP. "Moreover, on Aug. 12, 2011, a notice of sale was sent by first class mail and was not returned."

Battisti’s home, which was reportedly worth $280,000, was sold for only $116,000, and as of right now, Battisti is still living in the house. The money that was made at the tax auction will apparently be paid to the widow, whose husband died in 2004, if her planned appeals don’t go in her favor.

"The county never wants to see anybody lose their home, but at the same time the tax sale law, the tax real estate law, doesn't give a whole lot of room for error, either," said Beaver County Chief Solicitor Joe Askar. “It's bad — she had some hard times, I guess her husband kind of took care of a lot of that [tax] stuff. It seemed that she was having a hard time coping with the loss of her husband — that just made it set in a little more.”

Battisti says she plans to appeal the decision to Commonwealth Court soon.